Takamura is known for their excellent attention to detail with a really nice fit and finish and great grinds on the blades. This knife has a beautiful tsuchime (hammered) finish and is made with VG-10 stainless steel with excellent heat treatment. The result is a great combination of aesthetics, performance, and price.
Blacksmith: Takamura
Location: Echizen
Construction: Hammer Forged, San Mai
Weight: 5.8 ounces
Blade Length: 210 mm (8.25")
Overall Length: 340 mm (13.5")
Thickness at Heel: 1.8 mm
Blade Height: 45.2 mm
Reviews
8 review(s)WRITE A REVIEW (Reviews are subject to approval)
After buying the identical Chromax version of this knife, I liked the design (grind, profile, appearance) so much that I was interested in how a more simple metal choice would work. And t does, probably the bes VG10 edge I've seen, and I love the simple stainless clad with hammered finish. Overall, very sharp and nice to use!
Great knife for home or in a smaller kitchen. The balance and handle make this a very comfortable and nimble knife. It's capable of handling small detail work, or prepping various veg for salads. Glides though onions like they aren't even there. The nashiji finish looks great and is effective for anti stick. The performance and ease of maintenance factor can't be ignored. Such a steal at this price. The only con I would say is the knife is really thin especially at the tip. Just have to exercise a bit more care. The kanehide PS60 is an excellent alternative otherwise. Thin but not overly so at the tip. I have the 240mm PS60 gyuto and 150mm petty and they both feel a bit more sturdy. The Takamura has far more sex appeal tho so I've been reaching for it most of the time.
The knife is beautiful, and screaming sharp OOTB. Extremely thin, light & nimble on the board. Only thing holding me back from giving it 5 stars is the fit and finish on the handle. Mating of blade to bolster and also tang to handle has minor imperfections. Mind you, these are not functional imperfections, only aesthetic, and you really need to be looking to find them. However, you can't help but look because the blade is truly a work of art in addition to being a quality cutting machine. Falls through ingredients is an appropriate description of how the blade behaves while in action, and it passes my test for being considered a truly good knife in that the look and feel make it a joy to use. Nashigi finish makes for a distinctive look and also provides for some admirable non-stick qualities. Overall, very pleased with this product.
I love this knife. It glides effortlessly through product just like my other takamura knife. I will say the height took a minute for me to get used to. Most of my knives are taller and this ones about 45mm very non stick though. One thing to note, the tip is brittle but sharp which is a theme with takamura so be aware of your surroundings. I already put a tiny dent on my tip just by knocking it off a hotel pan at work. Easily fixable but not a beginner knife
I picked up a job as a garmo banquet chef. Everybody has to bring their own knives. All my knives are high carbon reactive steel. So while I may be away from my workstation helping with a plate up or setting food out for an event or conference or watever, someone would use my knife and not wipe it off afterwards. So when I'd get back to my station, my knife has now rusted. Very annoying several times a day. So that brought me to buying a nonreactive blade to bring me peace. This was he knife I chose for the Nashiji finish and the non reactive steel. I've heard good things about vg-10 steel. After about a month of looking and searching for knives I went with this one. This is a pretty thin blade, almost a laser, super cool finish although food does still stick sometimes. It is super light and sharpens up quite nicely. I must admit the tip is pretty brittle, I chipped it within the first week. Worked it over the stone for a couple of minutes and it's better. Also, this blade shaves arm hair out of the box. Very happy with this purchase, on days up take my knives home sometimes I pull this baby out for homecooking